Vacuum-cleaner.



W. T. SMITH. VACUUM CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED rnmza, 1911.

Patented May 14, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses Attorneys W. '1'. SMITH. VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED nmza, 1911.

Patented May 14, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

a R 1% g Witnesses Attorneys w y b UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER T. SMITH, 0F JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

VACUUM-CLEANER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER T. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Vacuum-Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to cleaning systems designed to be installed in house structures and the like whereby a central power plant may be utilized, said plant including a suction pump from which pipes extend to various points within the structure to be cleaned, there being a portable dust collector for attachment to any one of said pipes and a nozzle communicating with the collector and which is adapted to be used in the ordinary manner.

Another object is to provide a dust collector of novel form and which positively prevents the admission of dust to the service pipes, said collector including a vibrator by means of which clogging of the device is prevented.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds the invention resides in the co1nbination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :'-Figure 1 is a View showing, diagrammatically, the complete system, the various parts being illustrated in elevation. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical section through the dust collector.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a suction pump of the ordinary piston type, the piston rod being connected by a pitman 2 to a disk 3 on the drive shaft 4, this drive shaft receiving motion, through a belt 5 and pulley 6, from an electric motor 7 or the like.

A suction pipe 8 opens into the pump 1 and may be provided with any desired number of branches 9, one branch preferably extending to each compartment in the structure and projecting slightly beyond the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed 'February 28, 1911.

Patented May 14, 1912.

Serial No. 611,418.

wall thereof, there being a cap 10 removably mounted on the projecting end and serving to normally close it.

It is to be understood that the structure hereinbefore described is adapted to be built into the building to be cleaned. That portion of the apparatus which is portable consists of a dust collector, a nozzle, and tubular connections between the nozzle and the collector and between the collector and the suction pipes. The dust collector consists of a bowl-like body 11 flanged, as at 12 so as to support a gasket 13.

An inlet opening 14: is formed in the wall of the body close to the bottom thereof, and a pipe 15 extends inwardly from this opening and is curved upwardly with its inner end extending axially of the body, this inner end constituting a nozzle, as indicated at 16. A tapered nipple 17 is insertible into the inlet 11 and extends from one end of a flexible hose 18, the other end of this hose being attached to a suction nozzle 19 of the usual or any preferred type.

A spreading cone 20 is held over the discharge end of the nozzle 16 by supporting arms 21 extending from the lower portion of the tube 15, this cone being concentric with the body 11.

Threaded studs 22 project upwardly from the flange 12 and through an annular flange 23 formed upon the cap 2 1 of the dust collector, the marginal portion of said cap being insertible into the upper portion of the body, as indicated at 25. WVing nuts or the like may be screwed on to the studs 22 so as to tightly bind the flange 23 upon the gasket 13 and thus render air tight the connection between the cap and the body.

The cap 2a is preferably dome-shaped and has an interior annular flange 27 grooved, as shown at 28, to receive the marginal portion of a diaphragm 29 formed of a fabric the marginal portion of which is wrapped about an expansible spring ring 30. This ring is designed to bind the marginal portion of the diaphragm against the grooved portion of the shoulder 27 with su'tlicient pressure to prevent accidental displacement of the diaphragm. A coarse mat 31 of hair is supported under and in contact with the diaphragm 29, by an expansible spring ring 82 embedded within the mat and pressing it outwardly against the inner surface of the cap. The mat is thus supported against accidental displacement and practically completely fills all of the space within the cap and below the diaphragm. A coiled spring 33 is interposed between and bears against the top of the cap and-the upper surface of the diaphragm and holds said diaphragm normallypressed downwardly as indicated in Fig. 2. An outlet opening 3 1 is formed in the top of the cap and receives a nipple 35 extending from one endof a flexible hose 36, this hose being adapted to engagethe suction pipe 9 as shown in Fig. 1, after the cap 10 has been removed from said pipe. A handle 37 may be formed on or secured to the cap 24 so as to facilitate the transportation of the dust collector.

In using the apparatus the pump is first set in motion and the dust collector and the nozzle 19 are then conveyed to the compartment to be cleaned. Cap 10 is removed from the pipe 9 opening into said compartment and the hose 36 is slipped on to the pipe. The nozzle 19 can then be drawn over the surface to be cleaned and the suction set up by the pump 1 will result in the continuous passage of air through nozzle 19 and hose 18 to nozzle 16 from which it will pass through the mat 31 and the diaphragm 29 to hose 36 and thence to the pipes 9 and 8. During each stroke of the pump piston, the diaphragm 29 will be elevated against the stress of spring 33, but, as soon as the piston reaches the limit of its stroke, the suction being thus momentarily stopped, the spring 33 will shift the diaphragm back to its initial position. It will thus be apparent that said diaphragm will be continuously vibrated during the operation of the pump and particles of dust- -are therefore prevented from adhering to the'diaphragm or to the mat supported thereunder. The dust entering the receiver will of course be thrown downwardly by the deflecting cone 20 and the mat 31 will prevent it from passing upwardly into the upper compartment within the receiver. As all of the duct is retained within the lower portion of the receiver, it will be apparent that there is no danger of the service pipes 9 and 8 becoming clogged. After one compartment has been cleaned, the cap 10 can be replaced on the pipe 9 opening thereinto andthe dust receiver can then be transported to another compartment.

It will be seen that the apparatus is very WVhat is claimed is 1. In apparatus of the class described, a dust receiver having an inlet and an outlet, a flexible diaphragm intersecting the interior of the receiver and between the inlet and the outlet, a mat of unconfined fibers supported in contact with that face of the diaphragm adj acent the inlet, and means embedded within the mat for holding it in position upon the diaphragm.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a dust recelver havingsan lnlet and an out let, a flexible diaphragm detachably mounted within the receiver between the inlet and the outlet, a mat of exposed loose fibers detachably supported within the receiver and in contact with face of the diaphragm nearest the inlet, and spreading means interposed between the inlet and the mat.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a dust receiver having an inlet and an outlet, a flexible diaphragm interposed between the inlet and the outlet, an expansible mem her for binding the peripheral portion of L the diaphragm upon the wall of the receiver, a mat of fibrous material contacting with that face of the diaphragm nearest the inlet, and anexpansible element embedded in the matfor binding the marginal portion thereof against the wall of the re-.

ceiver. V

4;. In apparatus of the class described, a dust receiver having an lnlet and an outlet, a flexible diaphragm interposed between the inlet and outlet, a mat of loose fibers supported in contact with one face of the diaphragm and between the diaphragm and inlet, and yieldable means contacting with the other face of the diaphragm for holding said diaphragm normally depressed at its center toward the inlet.

5. A dust receiverincluding a body having an inlet, a cap having an outlet, means for detachably securing the cap upon the body, a flexible diaphragm, means for detachably securing the diaphragm within the cap, a mat of loose fibers supported in contact with the lower portion of the diaphragm, and elastic means interposed bep tween the diaphragm and the top of the cap for holding said diaphragm normally depressed toward the inlet.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signa- 1M ture in the presence of two witnesses.

. WALTER T. SMITH. WVitnesses VVM. J. Hrcsnvs, R. R. BUCKNELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

